


Winter

by TwistedFate101



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU no one is unhappy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Domestic Avengers, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, I love how the entirety of avengers are good bros, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Kinda, M/M, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Thanos doesn’t stand a chance, The Avengers Are Good Bros, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Tony-centric, focuses more on tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-02 23:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13329108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedFate101/pseuds/TwistedFate101
Summary: Tony has always loved winter.





	Winter

**Author's Note:**

> This work is un-betaed, so pointing out errors is greatly encouraged. Constructive criticism is rest too, but there’s a difference between pure criticism and criticism meant to help people and improve their skills. Please keep that in mind. Anyways—enjoy! ^_^

I.

Tony remembers warm winters spent huddled in his room, a cup of warm tea resting by his elbow. He remembers Jarvis taking time out of his day to sit down with Tony and listen patiently as he babbled excitedly about the schematics of whatever Tony'd come up with. He remembers his mother's perfume surrounding him after her return from a busy day due to the impending holiday and her frail arms scooping him up in a welcoming hug. 

He remembers his father laughing, eyes sparkling with joy, as he drank eggnog, no trace of alcohol in sight. His cheeks rosy red for reasons other than too much whiskey when he'd reach down to ruffle Tony's hair, praise flowing off his lips like warm butter. He remembers gingerbread cookies and heated milk and family, during those sparse weeks where Tony could pretend he was apart of a normal family. 

"Well done, my boy!" Obie would cheer when he opened another present from Tony himself that revealed a circuit board he'd painstakingly slaved over, and Howard would beam at him like he was the sun itself. "Genius runs in the family, Obadiah. He's such a smart boy," he would chuckle. Maria would pat Tony's hand from where it rested on her knee when he crawled over to her, her eyes full of something other than resignation. 

Winter was the season where Tony could forget that he was a disappointment to everyone around him. 

II. 

"Come on, man, I think you've had enough to drink." Rhodey (and he'd only become Rhodey last week, when he'd peeled Tony away from a group of older boys he hadn't wanted to be with) said. It wasn't a disapproving reprimand, though, more so a teasing reminder to slow down, let yourself relax instead of oh, Tony. Stop ruining yourself. And Tony decided that yes, he really should let go of the glass because it wasn't going anywhere. 

Rhodey had invited him over for Christmas after Tony'd admitted to having nowhere to go other than their dorm. His welcoming smile had only widened at that, almost painfully so, and Rhodey had flung an arm over Tony's shoulders companionably. "Well, then come with me! Ma'll be happy to have another kid to fuss over," he'd ordered. It wasn't a suggestion, because all of Rhodey's suggestions were, in fact, commands, and anyone who'd try and defy him better watch their back. 

So Tony had reluctantly agreed and packed his bags, suffered a forty-eight hour road trip with nothing but country music blasting in the background. When they'd made it to Rhodey's, he'd ushered Tony inside with a vague 'shoo'ing motion, too distracted to care about any complaints that Tony himself voiced—and as he stepped over the threshold, he was slapped in the face with pumpkin spice, vanilla, the overwhelming feeling of belonging that seemed to radiate from the walls. 

Rhodey's mother, a slightly plump woman with bright eyes and a warm smile, popped her head out from where Tony assumed the kitchen was, took one look at him, and said "you must be James' friend! My name is Roberta. Come in, come in!" And Tony'd immediately fallen in love with her. She was so much like Maria it almost hurt, in the way her eyes would crinkle at the corners when she was trying especially hard not to laugh and failing spectacularly, and the way she'd prop her hands on her hips and scold in an astoundingly stern voice, "James Rupert Rhodes!" When Rhodey did something that she didn't approve of at all. 

It was like coming home, and maybe that word had a new meaning to it, another sanctuary to run to when he had nowhere else to turn. Maybe he wished this was the kind of life he'd gotten the chance to lead, the one where he could throw flour at his friend and not be scolded for making a mess and to clean himself up for the guests, Tony, you know your mother has a Gala tonight, you wouldn't want to make a bad impression, would you? 

Rhodey didn't have a dad, but that was okay because Tony didn't think he would be able to deal with it if he faced a person and they were as centred as the other Rhodes he'd met. Perhaps it was unhealthy, to think of himself as a mischievous younger sibling at age sixteen, but it was hard not to when Rhodey caught him in a headlock and rubbed flour all over his hair while Roberta scolded them from her post at the stove. 

Tony liked winter, he decided as he lounged on the couch in front of the fire, cuddled up to Rhodey with a glass of expensive wine in his hand. His belly was pleasantly full with turkey and Rhodey snoring noisily next to him, not unlike a car engine. He liked it a lot. 

III. 

Ironically enough, it was only a week into winter when he was kidnapped in Afghanistan by the Ten Rings. The Jericho was supposed to be his last presentation before he took a break for the holidays. Because fate thought itself funny, and Tony's luck didn't seem to exist, that's when shrapnel imbedded itself in its chest from a blow by his own weapon. 

Things moved fairly quickly, after that. Tony's memories on the surgery were hazy, but he could still vividly recall what it felt like to have a saw cut through his skin and bone to get to the worst of his injuries. And then, and then, it turned out that this terrorist group wanted him to build them more of the bombs he'd showcased, and that was the end of that. Tony didn't exactly know how much time each day he'd spend in that small chamber, his head forced under water again and again and again and again until his surroundings became all muggy and he was dragged back to the relative safety of the cave and Yinsen. 

Apparently, there were such things as Christmas miracles, because Tony discovered a better (and portable) way to keep himself from dying, then how to create a suit that was powered by the thing keeping him from dying that could shoot fire, protect him against bullets, and fly. He was a genius, if he did say so himself. "Stark, how are we sure this will work?" Yinsen had asked him after a day of hammering out the kinks of the legs for the armour. Tony had just smirked and tapped the casing that protected his arc reactor, and Yinsen had simply inclined his head in acknowledgement. 

Somehow, in the days spent with the other man and soldiering through everything the Ten Rings through at him, Tony had found a man that genuinely seemed to care for him. Believed that he could do something more than cause thousands of deaths, millions of broken families. Their escape was going to work out perfectly, Tony had been sure of that. He'd had such faith in his intelligence that he didn't think about what he would do if it didn't go the way he wanted. 

And then Yinsen died. 

Tony was a whirlwind of grief and rage and vengeance, after. Red tinged his vision, his heart working furiously, but he didn't care because suddenly, so suddenly, Yinsen was dead and it was all his fault—

Then Rhodey found him, after days of stumbling through desert sands, mouth dry and hope wavering. Clutched Tony tightly to his chest and sank to his knees right with Tony, severe tremors rippling through his entire body. Tony didn't know if it was his or Rhodey's but right now he didn't care, not at all, because his best friend had found him. "How was the fun-vee?" Rhodey had asked in a shaking voice. Tony did nothing but clutch harder to him, because Rhodey was Tony's anchor for everything. 

—

Obie was a traitor. 

Pathetically, that was the only thought that he could get through his head as he lay there on the couch, the shrapnel inching closer and closer to his heart with each passing second. And wasn't that just the kicker, because all his life Obie had been there for him. Had sat with him and rubbed his back consolingly after his parent's funeral and gently took the bottle of scotch away when he tried to polish it off at a too young of an age. Had comforted him with his booming laugh and his easy smiles, his presence lingering just out of reach yet close, more present than any other adult in cahoots with his father had ever been. 

It left Tony to wonder if any of it, any of it at all, had been genuine. So as he gasped like a fish out of water and clawed his way across the dirty cement floor of his workshop, the only thing stopping him from keeling over right then and there was Pepper. Pepper was his light, second to Rhodey, and he couldn't die without her knowing what had happened to him. So he pushed and DUM-E gave him the arc reactor, the one Pepper had given him, and he hopped in the suit. 

He hadn't intended to kill Obie at first. But then Obie had tried to kill Tony again, and the only way to stop him was to still his breathing. There was a conference after, of course, with Coulson from Strategic-Homeland-whatever, and he was blurting "I am Iron Man," because goddamn Christine Everhart had baited him. 

As there was so much to do, what with the whole 'superhero' schtick, that was the last time he gave a thought about winter for a very, very long time. 

IIII. 

JARVIS was gone. 

SHIELD had been compromised, then destroyed.

The Winter Soldier was apparently Steve's long-lost bestie.

And now, to top it all off, HYDRA was actually never gone in the first place. 

Winter was the farthest thing and low on his priorities. 

V. 

After the whole Civil War thing was said and done, Barnes recovering in a private ward Tony'd specifically designed for super soldiers, Steve had finally approached him. He was adorably bashful, cheeks flooding with heat as he stammered over a butchered apology and shifting foot to foot, avoiding all eye contact and glaring at the tiles as if they had personally offended him. 

Tony was still furious with the guy. He had betrayed Tony's trust and refused to listen to what Tony had to say, then ran away to Neverland with the majority of the Avengers and Barnes. But. But. Thor had returned only a week earlier with a ship full of Asgardians, Bruce (Tony would really need to ask how he got there later), and Loki in tow (really?) with an ominous message about an impending war headed toward Earth or whatever. So, if there was a better time to forgive past mistakes, Tony'd like to know so he could hold onto his grudge a teeny, tiny bit longer. 

"Relax, Cap," he'd laughed. He'd reached up in an aborted movement to clap Steve on the shoulder, which was all the invitation that Steve himself needed, apparently, to draw Tony into a hug that basically engulfed him. Which was nice and all, but humans needed to breath, so he just awkwardly patted Steve's back until he was released and sucked in a huge lungful of air. "Oh, God, Tony, I'm sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?" Then there was Steve, mother-henning him like he did with all the ex-rogue Avengers. Tony's grin was more genuine this time. "Right as rain, Cap. Don't worry about it." Tony reassured. 

They walked down toward Barnes' ward, as there wasn't a place Steve spent as much time in as Barnes' room, chatting amiably with each other like everything after Ultron had never happened. It was....nice. Certainly a refresher, a release on the stress that had been building up with the Accord Amendments. Before they parted ways at Barnes' door to his room, Steve grabbed his wrist firmly. Tony noted, with some surprise and pleased shock, that he did so with extra care, as if he didn't want to intentionally or unintentionally hurt Tony again. It would get annoying at some point, sure, but for now, especially after Siberia, it was a reminder that he didn't had to be afraid of Steve anymore. "Wait, Tony," Steve chewed on his lower lip. "I just want to thank you for all you've done for Bucky. It...it really means a lot to me, you know, to take him in after everything we made you go through," at this, Tony holds up a finger for silence. 

"First of all, Steve, that wasn't all on you. I was stupid, too. I could have told you about the Accords in more detail and I didn't." Steve frowned. "Don't say that you didn't let me, because you obviously don't know me as well as you think you do if you believe you talking over me is going to stop me for getting what I want to say out." After a short bout of silence, Steve's furrowed brow smooths out into something less like a frown. Tony can't help but compare his face to a disappointed puppy. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask, in repayment for what you did, if you'd like to join the team for Christmas." 

Tony blinked. Then blinked again. And again. 

All this blinking must have made Cap uncomfortable, because after only a solid thirty seconds of keeping steady eye contact, his eyes lower to the floor. The hand on Tony's wrist loosens. "I-I mean, you don't have to, I know you have a lot on your plate, so-" "Yes!" Even Tony startled himself with the volume he'd agreed to having quality time with the Avengers again. 

Looking back on it, though, Tony couldn't be sure when they'd all gathered to do something other than save the world or debrief about their mission to a still-undercover Fury (who was apparently operating an underground version of SHIELD made up of Coulson, Maria, Clint, Sharon, Natasha, and himself. Which was kind of sad, but Tony'd let it slide until everything was settled. Then, he was going to actually find Avengers acquaintances and see if they would like to join. Darcy, Jane's friend, certainly seemed promising) so it could be nice to catch up on things. 

"That would be awesome," Tony repeated in a calmer voice. It was totally worth it to see the thousand-watt grin grace Captain America's face over something that Tony did again. 

Winter had always been his favourite season, after all. 

—

"Barton, I swear to God, put that Goddamn mistletoe arrow back where you found it or so help me-"

—


End file.
